Bring Me Back
by Ladya C. Maxine
Summary: A vengeful politician is out to get the surviving members of the Sekihoutai. Politics and new laws make it dificult for Sano's friends to help him. The only one who can help him is the man who lives by his own rules...SxS. Chapter 2 up!
1. Chapter 1

Title: Bring Me Back

Authoress: Ladya C. Maxine

Rating: M

Summary: A sudden shift in political power grants an embittered politician the chance to finish off what he had started during the Meiji revolution: complete eradication of the Sekihoutai. Sanosuke is taken into custody and the only person who can help him now is the man he hates the most…

Warnings: yaoi, language, violence, torture

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of its characters. Any and all unrecognizable characters belong solely to me and are not to be touched. I am not making any money off of this and I write with the sole intention to entertain.

A/N: Many of you are probably thinking something along the line of: 'Huh?' Yes, this is my first ever Rurouni Kenshin fanfic, which is ironic since the first yaoi fic I ever read was a SaitohxSanosuke story. So, basically, this is the anime that put me on the path of writing yaoi fanfiction. Bow before the awesomeness! (referring to the anime, not myself, though feel free to worship me too :P )

Obviously, the SS pairing (Saitoh/Sanosuke) was at one time my obsession and to this day it remains on my list. Two completely different characters that share so many interesting interactions on screen; it seems almost a sin not to draw conclusions.

Two things you ought to know about this story. One: it takes place a couple of months after the Shishio-timeframe, and two: everyone now already knows that Saitoh survived and that he has returned to working for the police in Tokyo. Yeah, I know; major bummer, but I don't want to go through the whole re-introduction of the guy.

Saitoh was and still is the ultimate epitome of coolness in my book. Yes, even more so than Kai (Beyblade) and Sesshoumaru (Inuyasha). I have never watched a scene with him in it that didn't bring a big smile to my face. I love his sharp features (those eyes!!! **_faints_**), I love his skills (Ha! Kenshin has yet to beat him!). I love his sarcastically blunt remarks (Sorry, but Kai has got nothing on him there!). I even love his smoking!! (Sexay, at least, when he does it) To sum this up: I LOVE Saitoh Hajime!!

(P.S: Saitoh's original Japanese seiyuu/voice actor, Hirotaka Suzuoki, tragically passed away last year, at age 56, of lung cancer. R.I.P. Thanks for the great character!)

Sanosuke…A lot of my friends wonder why it is I love him so much since he is basically the exact opposite of my usual preference (mainly the cool, calm, collected, serious, silent types; i.e. Saitoh). I myself don't get it. Sano is cool (though not always calm and collected, especially when dealing with Saitoh) and is sometimes a rather serious character, but he is also very brash and loud and tends to make stupid mistakes. But that's what makes me like him so much; he tries and tries and never gives up! Compared to the older, more experienced fighters in the anime (Kenshin, Saitoh, Aoshi, Hiko, etc.) Sano is relatively weak and unskilled, but he gives his all every time; you've just got to admire that. Besides…he's so HOT!!! (Yeah, I saved my most shallow argument for last. Go me.)

* * *

**Bring** **Me Back**

_Ladya C. Maxine_

* * *

"No fair, Ugly! Why do I have to clean the floors? Those are your big footprints!" 

"Who you calling ugly?! And my feet aren't big!!"

"Suuuuuure…OW!!"

Catching just part of what was another dispute between two of his friends from within the dojo walls, Sanosuke smiled around the fishbone between his lips as he sauntered over to where a small redhead was happily sweeping the mat in the gate entry, humming as if a rather loud crash hadn't just sounded from within the compound.

"Oi, Kenshin!" the tall teen hailed, drawing purple eyes towards him.

"Sano, beautiful day, isn't it?" Kenshin beamed, looking up at the bright blue sky while shielding his eyes with a slender hand. "A perfect day for travelling."

Leaning in the arch, Sano crossed his arms to regard his friend with a suspicious expression, the fishbone sticking upwards in alert tension.

"Travel? Are you going somewhere, _again_?"

"Oro?" Kenshin blinked but ended up laughing at the look on the ex-gangster's face. Chuckling, he waved the accusation off. "No, not me, Sano. I think that I'm done with wandering."

"This coming from a rurouni?"

The redhead grinned, motioning for the other to follow him into the yard since he was done sweeping the entrance. Hands in his pockets, Sanosuke cautiously looked about but was unable to locate the source of the distant ruckus.

"Well, what's all this about travelling?" he persisted, now taking a seat on the chopping block in the shade of the dojo roof.

"We're expecting company soon," Kenshin explained as he began sweeping the stone path leading up to the training room. "Can't have a party without guests, right? Misao and Aoshi should be arriving by this evening. Of course, Miss Megumi and Dr. Genzai will be here too. And Tae said that she'll close the Akabeko early tomorrow so she and Tsubani can help out with the preparations."

The fishbone drooped and Sanosuke gifted his friend with a blank stare.

"…Party?"

He didn't mind the party idea. It meant free food and drinks that he could indulge himself in without Kaoru or Megumi scolding him for being a free-loader. But what was the occasion? Sure, Kenshin defeating Shishio was something worth celebrating…but that had been months ago. So then, what could possibly be so damn important?

"Don't you know what day it is tomorrow?" Kenshin asked, seeing that the young man was seriously lost.

That was a good question. Days tended to get confusing when one spent them gambling, drinking and avoiding physical labour.

"Uh…Tuesday?"

"Tuesday, the 7th of June."

"So I was half right," Sano shrugged, leaning back on his arms, allowing his loose jacket to fall away from his torso to avoid soaking up too much heat. "Fine then, what's so important about Tuesday the 7--Mphf!!

Kenshin, the fleet-footed man that he was, crossed the close space between the two and clasped a hand over the other's mouth, eyes wide as he looked around, making sure they were alone before he dared release the now stumped, and somewhat insulted, rooster.

"What the hell was that for?" Sano asked, wiping his mouth as the rurouni's hand was a bit dirty. "Aw man, I hope you didn't just cleaned the bathroom!"

"Good thing Miss Kaoru didn't hear you," Kenshin said, not listening to his friend's grumblings. "She'd be very upset if she found out that you had forgotten her birthday."

Sanosuke merely sighed, tugging on a loose end of his bandana.

"That's it? Jou-chan's birthday is enough to convince Aoshi to leave his precious meditation to walk all the way here with weasel girl? If the guy wasn't such a stiff I'd feel sorry for him."

"Well, Miss Kaoru is turning 18, so I suppose it's a very important event…isn't it?"

The young man shrugged.

"Never celebrated any birthdays," he said without much regret.

"Hmm, me neither. My past…activities never left me with much time to consider things like my birthday…" Kenshin trailed off, eyes growing dark.

Sanosuke sighed again, this time in exasperation. They all knew _that_ look. The one when Kenshin's eyes took on a distant glaze. The former hitokiri was just too humble and guilt-laden to let go of his past. There were days when their redheaded friend would just zone out, staring out into space, barely eating. However, the man could just as easily snap back to his surroundings. Lucky for him, he did so today, sparing Sano the trouble of chucking a piece of log at his head to speed up the process.

"But Miss Kaoru is really excited. Yahiko and I went shopping with Dr. Genzai this morning to buy her presents. I hope she'll like it."

"Who are you talking to, Kenshin?" The object of their conversation stepped out onto the porch, holding a wet cloth in one hand and a struggling Yahiko in the other. "Oh! Hi, Sano!"

He raised a hand in greeting as she proceeded to drag the resisting boy over to the two.

"Excited about your big day tomorrow?" Sano asked.

A blinding smile spread across the young woman's face.

"You remembered?"

"Who ever can forget our little Jou-chan's 18th birthday?" he replied, trying not to grin at Kenshin, who was now standing behind Kaoru with a shocked expression.

Kaoru, who had gone all starry-eyed, didn't even comment on the hated pet name.

"Oh my god!! You actually remembered!! That means somuch to me! It feels so good to have at least _someone_ congratulate me on my special day without me having to drag it out of them," she glared at Kenshin, who was now staring between her and Sano with a helpless expression.

"B-But Miss Kaoru, Sano--"

"Aw, I forgive you," she smiled brightly at his stuttering. "The last few months have been pretty tough. But that is all about to change because by this time tomorrow I, Kaoru Kamiya, will officially be…a woman!" she exclaimed, striking a dramatic pose before giggling madly, making the three males share worried glances.

"Are you sure you're turning 18?" Yahiko asked, having freed himself, if only temporarily.

"Of course I am. I have been waiting for this day for…er, 18 years. Can you imagine? I will now finally be recognized as the refined woman that I am, and Megumi will no longer be able to make her 'little girl' comments! Ooooh, I can barely wait!"

"Only 18 and she's already getting demented," Yahiko whispered to Sano, making them both cackle.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," they answered in unison though she remained suspicious.

"Anyway, the party's tomorrow and there's still a lot to do. Kenshin, you continue sweeping and when you are done then you can polish the floors after Yahiko has cleaned them. I will finish off the washing and then go to the market to do some grocery shopping. And Sano, you can--"

"Whoa!" he cut in, standing up and holding his hands up. "I was just passing by. I've got lots of important stuff to do."

"Oh yeah, like what? Losing bets and sleeping?--OW!!"

"For your information," he continued, having dealt a punch to the brat's head. "I have to…to…to buy Jou-chan's present."

Any opposition from the owner of the dojo immediately dissipated at that but Yahiko, nursing the big lump on his head, merely glared sceptically.

"You? Buy something? With what? You never have any money. What can you buy with an empty wallet, if you even have one?"

"Not telling," he taunted. "That'll ruin the surprise."

"You're just trying to worm your way out of work!"

"Yahiko, stop being such a pain!" Kaoru, disillusioned with the thoughts of presents, berated. "If he says he's going to buy me a present then he will."

A sudden gleam in her eyes made Sano cringe as she turned to him.

"Right, Sano?" she asked in a voice bordering on threatening.

Unable to speak in fear that he might say something he would regret soon after, he nodded.

"Good. Well, let's get back to work! See you tomorrow at the party then, Sano. It starts at six."

Grabbing Yahiko, who had been trying to steal away, by the back of his haori, she dragged him off again, caught up once more in a heated argument concerning the size of her feet.

"Do you really have money to buy Miss Kaoru something?" Kenshin asked when the coast was clear.

"Uh…no."

The redhead slapped his forehead.

"Are you going to show up with nothing? You can't do that to her, Sano. She'll be hurt!"

'No more than I'll be once she's done with me,' Sano thought to himself but plastered a wide grin on his face. "Calm down, Kenshin. I'll think of something by then…Do you have any change on you?"

The wanderer rolled his eyes.

* * *

His grumbling stomach announced that it was dinner time thought the smell of cooking broths and meat were just as reliable. The heavenly scents crept out of the open windows and doorways he passed as he ambled down the almost deserted street. 

'What rotten luck,' he scowled, kicking a pebble out of his way as he walked, hands stuffed angrily in his pockets. 'An entire afternoon wasted and I don't even have a penny!'

When it had become clear that Kenshin would not be able to lend him any money he had done what he did best: try to wheedle some cash out of friends and acquaintances from all over town. This technique, while risky, almost never failed him as he often paid back those he owed by beating up someone for them. Other failed payments had left him in some very awkward, and disturbing, situation in which those he owed (mostly people he knew only fairly) would get the nerves to demand he repay them some other way. The mere though made him want to either punch something or drink something.

"Okay, I'm straying from my main objective," he told himself. Stopping in the middle of the road, he looked around though was mainly in deep thoughts. "I've got to get something for Jou-chan. I could never face her if I came to her party with empty hands…"

A loud growl reminded him of his other, more prominent, problem. Food.

Again, he didn't want to go back to the dojo out of fear of screwing up and Kaoru finding out about his predicament. The Akabeko had a foot-long tab with his name on it so until he found a way to pay some of it off he felt it best to avoid it, which was going to make confronting Tae at Kaoru's party tomorrow difficult. His two primary meal suppliers were temporarily off limits for now, meaning…

Grinning, he turned around, feet taking him back where he came from though he ducked into a side street a few minutes later and once exiting it he found himself in the crowded row-establishment similar to the one he lived in, only a lot more respectable. The houses, though small, were pretty new and those who lived in them were mostly decent blue-collared workers whereas his own neighbours preferred to spend their days gambling, whistling at women and drinking.

Easily locating his destination amongst the countless similar establishments, he knocked twice on the door before leaning against the wall, eyeing the sun setting behind the trees for a moment before he heard the sound of the door sliding open. Bleary blue eyes squinted at him from behind tussled black bangs.

Sanosuke grinned wider.

"Did I wake you?"

"Either that or this is a really bad dream," Katsuhiro Tsukioka mumbled, brushing his long hair out of his face as he stepped back to allow the other entrance, quickly shutting the door behind the ex-gangster though not before scanning the area.

"No one followed me," Sano assured, plopping himself down onto the other's futon. "Different times, Katsu."

"Time changes, people don't," was the cautioned reply as the man walked over to where his friend was lounging on the futon he had just been forced out of. "Did your landlord repossess your bed or something?"

"How can you sleep at dinnertime?"

The blue eyes widened, followed by a sigh.

"I suppose you're hungry."

"Damn right I am."

"Got into a fight with the mistress of the dojo?" Katsu asked, going about preparing something for the two of them.

"Ha! We've never been on better terms. It's her 18th birthday tomorrow and they're throwing a big party. She's expecting me to show up with some great present, though."

"And, of course, you don't have the money to buy one."

"I've been in tighter situations," he defended, sitting up and crossing his legs Indian-style, propping his chin on his hand. "You haven't seen Yuki around, have you? He's usually loaded at the beginning of the month."

"Can't say that I have. How much do you need?"

"I don't know. Enough to buy her something simple but nice, I guess. I heard her gushing over some hairpin a couple of weeks ago."

"Take it out of my wallet," Katsu offered.

"Seriously?"

"We both know you would have eventually asked me anyways."

"I owe you."

"A couple of hundred yens, but what are friends for?" Katsu answered, half-resigned, half-amused.

Laughing, Sano reached under the futon where he knew his friend kept his wallet when at home but found nothing.

"It's in my bag."

"Bag?" Sano realized, following the man's finger that pointed to the packed luggage sitting in the dark corner of the room. "Why is it in there?"

"I was going to pass by to tell you tomorrow before I left, but I'm going to be away for about a month."

"Where ya going?"

"Hiroshima. I got a letter yesterday from the editor of a newspaper that was interested in my writing concerning the government. He's invited me to join his group of writers so I'm just going to check it out."

Sano frown, turning dark brown eyes on his friend.

"Doesn't that mean that you're may have to move to Hiroshima?"

Tasting the food before adding some salt, Katsu shook his head.

"Can't say yet."

Sano found the wallet in the front pouch and opened it to find a rather handsome amount of money in it. Being artistic and well articulated certainly paid well. Had the wallet belonged to anyone else he'd have been unable to resist grabbing a few extra bills. But this was Katsu, and taking advantage of his best friend's generosity and patience was quite possibly the last (and lowest) thing he could ever imagine himself doing, so he took out what he roughly calculated was just enough to buy Jou-chan's hairpin.

"By the way, have you heard?"

"Heard what?" he asked, stuffing the wallet securely back in its place before returning to the raised platform on which the futon laid.

"What's going on with this pitiful government."

"I heard a couple of whispers here and there in the gambling houses earlier about some missing stooge. What about him?"

Pouring out some thick broth into a bowl, the artist handed it to his friend who eagerly accepted it.

"The Minister of Justice has reportedly gone missing."

"Good," he said without any regret. "That's one prick less."

"Word has it that they fear that he's been assassinated since they reportedly found blood in his house but there's no body. Police force is all over it. They've been stopping people in the street and asking them questions."

"Knowing those yellow-bellied politicians they'll probably come knocking at the dojo soon to ask Kenshin for help. The last time those jackasses crawled to him for help he almost ended up dead after fighting Shishio," Sano grumbled.

Though he had come to control his rage, thanks to Kenshin, he couldn't help hating this government more and more with every passing day. To think that he once fought for what they pretended to believe in. To think that Taicho died fighting for them…

"You never know," Katsu said, taking a seat next to his friend, putting down a large bowl of rice and two freshly cooked fish on a plate before them. "But I don't see it as something serious. I wouldn't worry about Himura if I were you. You yourself told me that he has never been defeated."

"Yeah, you're right…Wait, no you're not. Our friendly neighborhood asshole is still strutting about."

"Who?" Katsu frowned.

"Saitoh," Sano growled.

"Saitoh…?"

Sighing, Sano (painfully) reminded him.

"Goes by the alias Fujita. Tall cop, yellow eyes, cocky bastard. Ring a bell?"

At once the blue eyes narrowed.

"The man who gave you that scar?"

"Stick to the topic," Sano muttered around a mouthful of rice, not in the mood to discus _that _little event for…well, ever.

Katsu did not press the issue and returned to his food.

"I knew just by looking at him that he was a strong fighter," he mused quietly.

"Yeah, he and Kenshin battled it out before Kenshin left for Kyoto but they were interrupted before they could finish. He's the only person that Kenshin just cannot seem to beat."

He cursed as something struck home.

"Aw damn it! Since he's part of the police force he'll probably show up again at the dojo to talk about the investigation!"

"I take it you two still aren't friends," Katsu smiled over the rim of his bowl at the scowling expression on the other's face.

"Ya think?" Sano sulked. "Fucking cricket-faced bastard…And he'll probably have broom head following him like a trained dog. One of them is bad enough, the two of them is…Makes me want to break something."

"Not in here," Katsu warned, then smiled. "Broom head? Isn't there anyone in the police force that you are acquainted with by a first-name basis?"

"Bastards," Sano insisted, chewing viciously. "Made us think he was dead, then shows up one sunny day a month later, going about with his police duties, as if nothing happened. He's so full of himself…"

"Well, at least you're no longer hungry," Katsu sighed, collecting their bowls. "Sake?"

He always knew what to say. Sano's sour temper immediately evaporated.

"Took you long enough!" he grinned, sitting up straighter.

"Remind me why I support your lazy ways," Katsu said, carrying the cups and jug over.

"Because I'm your best friend and you'd do anything to keep it that way."

"Now who's a cocky bastard?"

Sano sat back, enjoying the warm alcohol as it went down and settled comfortable in his stomach. Katsu sat close by, sipping his with a content expression. They drank a few cups in silence. Sano would have preferred if they'd emptied the jar but Katsu (wisely) intervened.

"Gonna miss you," Sano said as he watched the other clean up, again.

"I'll be back before you know it. It's not like you actually keep track of days or weeks."

"True. Might not even notice you gone."

"Would you bet on that?" Katsu asked, rolling a couple of dice in his hands. "Loser has to wash up."

"You're on!"

* * *

He could see the not-so distant lights of his neighborhood and Sano slowed his pace, realizing that he wasn't all that tired though once home he'd have nothing better to do than go to bed. So, slowly continuing on his way, he idly kicked at anything lying on the road. The day had ended good, he supposed. Kaoru hadn't yelled at him; he got away with not lifting a finger to help out for the party he was planning on enjoying tomorrow; he got a free meal from his best friend; plus money to buy something nice for Kaoru. Sure, he had to wash up, after losing badly to his friend, but that was just a minor detail. Now that he thought about it, the day had ended fucking great! 

"I am so in control!" he said aloud, raising his fists in the air. No one was on the street to witness this, for which he was partly grateful, but that didn't stop him from giving the rickety fence he was walking alongside an artistic kick…which knocked a rather large section of the fence down. With a creak and a groan, the whole damn thing caved in like a deck of cards.

"Aw, shit! Really smooth, Zanza," Sano said. Oh well, not like anyone was there to hold him responsible—

"Destruction of government property can get you several weeks in prison, ahou."

Tbc…

* * *

A/N: Well, my first stab at Rurouni Kenshin. It feels so weird, writing for another fandom, even one I'm well familiar with. This should be fun! There are just too few good SxS fics on this site! We (as in I) need more!

Read & Review, please.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Bring Me Back

Authoress: Ladya C. Maxine

Rating: M

Summary: see chapter one

Warnings: see chapter one

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of its characters. Any and all unrecognizable characters belong solely to me and are not to be used without my permission. I am not making any money off of this and I write with the sole intent to entertain.

A/N: I'm not a fan of using random Japanese words in my stories (being hypocritical here since I used to do that in the past, now it kinda grates on my nerves), but, having originally watched Rurouni Kenshin in Japanese, Saitoh's "ahou" nickname for Sano is engrained in my mind. "Idiot" or "moron" doesn't have the same ring to it, so I'll stick with "ahou".

Yeah, "Saitoh" is actually an incorrect way of spelling "Saito"/"Saitou", but I tend to favour its spelling.

* * *

"Destruction of government property can get you up to a week in jail, ahou."

Sano's euphoria dissipated in record time at the un-welcomed, voice.

"My day is now officially fucked," he groaned, dropping his arms to his side.

He wouldn't have located the wolf had it not been for the tiny floating speck of light glowing in the shadows of the building on the other side of the narrow street. The man's dark blue uniform hid him well.

"Aren't you supposed to be off somewhere scaring little kids who aren't in bed?" Sano drawled, turning to face the lean officer.

"What do you think I'm doing?"

"…Fuck you," he spat when it caught up with him.

"Verbally assaulting an officer can get you five days behind bars."

"What would I get for flipping you off?"

"Three days. And a broken finger."

"Tempting. So what brings you to my part of town? This ain't exactly your scene, cricket-face."

The glowing speck fell, landing on the ground with bright sparks before a foot crushed it out. Finally, the wolf pushed himself off the wall he had been calmly leaning against and stepped out into the street, the dim lamp post above them casting his sharp features into menacing shadows across his face. An amused grin tugged at the corner of his thin lips.

"Patrolling."

"You're not even on the patrol force, Mr I'm-Too-Damn-Important."

"Imagine that."

It was a well know school of thought that conversations, even the weird, scary ones, ended with parting words like 'bye' or 'see ya later'. Saitoh must have attended a different school; the man simply turned and began walking towards town, leaving the teen staring at his back, mouth open and expression confused.

Sanosuke took a step forward, ready to follow the taller man and demand him…Well, he wasn't sure what it was he had been expecting from Saitoh, other than that the man would infuriate him more than all the politicians in Japan combined, but he knew that Saitoh never showed up unless it was something important. Was this about Kenshin? Another mission?

As if. He was the _last_ person Saitoh would come to if something important was going down.

So nothing important. Great. The man was just here to annoy him? That was a very Saitoh-like thing to do. A jab here, a comment there, a few puffs of smoke and a degrading snicker and Saitoh would have found his entertainment for the evening.

But that would have been a chore for Saitoh. Not a lot of work; the man could track down anyone way too easily, but, nonetheless, Saitoh had put some effort into coming out to find him. Hardly a very Saitoh-like thing to do. Coincidentally crossing paths and exchanging insults was one thing; having been sought out was another. Saitoh had no business in this area otherwise.

Maybe he was wanted by the police…

'Have I done anything this past week that would piss the police force off enough that _Saitoh _would come after me himself?' Sano wondered, watching the officer growing smaller and smaller. 'Nah, Saitoh wouldn't bother hunting me down just for some stupid arrest warrant. He'd sent broom-head instead.'

Saitoh disappeared into the night, having not looked behind him even once.

Sano clenched his fists again. That confident asshole! If he thought that Sanosuke Sagara was going to be baited so easily then…he thought right. Dammit! He had to know why this man was out looking for him!

Jogging to catch up, he could begin to make out the silhouette of Saitoh ahead in the otherwise abandoned street. The older man hadn't changed his leisurely pace, one hand resting on the hilt of his katana while the other hung at his side, the spotless white glove out of place on the dark figure. Coming up alongside him, Sano glared to find the trademark smirk already on the man's face.

"This better be worth my time," he growled, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Saitoh didn't respond. Sano could tell that the swordsman was alert, despite his calm countenance. Every now and then those golden eyes would drift to one side or the other as if penetrating the building walls in search of possible ambushers. Yeah right. In this part of town men lost all coordination, and the ability to even think, well before midnight. Here, sake was synonymous for water. Planning an ambush was the last thing on anyone's mind.

Had it been several months ago Sano would have spent the entire trip threatening and cursing the man for a hint of their destination. But despite Katsu's words, people do change along with the times. Saitoh, the egoistical creep that he was, always had a motive behind his actions; it had taken Sano many painful months (and fights) to learn that. He had to be patient since Saitoh only deemed it fit to explain himself when he felt like it, and not a moment sooner.

Asshole.

"You're not here to arrest me, are you?" he asked, just to make sure.

"No."

Alright, so Saitoh was up for a conversation.

"Are you going to stab me again?"

"Not unless you ask for it."

"Oh, so I was asking for you to spear that fucking sword through my shoulder when we first met?" he sneered.

"I don't recall you turning me down."

Despite himself, Sano snickered.

"Sorry, man, but you're too old for my taste."

"Don't flatter yourself."

Not the most original comeback, but, of course, Saitoh's smooth voice and nonchalant expression drove it home harder and deeper than most people would dream of achieving.

Further conversation would only lead to him doing or saying something stupid so Sano kept quiet, stuffing his hands deep into his pockets.

At long last, they found themselves at the docks. Light mist hung close to the ground, gathering in corners and beneath barrels. The night watchmen were either hiding in the shadows or hiding inside with sake and dice. There were only a few ships in, which was rare for this time of the week.

Sano didn't know why they were here, but when Saitoh stopped walking he figured that this was their destination after all. An open area, not secretive at all, yet this was where the cop deemed it acceptable to finally make his intentions known.

"Okay, you've led me to the other side of town, so spill it. What do you want?"

"Answers," Saitoh said, pulling out another cigarette.

"Go read a book."

"I'm surprised you even know that that's what books are for. I need answer about a certain individual."

If the bastard was going to make things difficult than Sano was only too happy to return the favour.

"Hm, yeah," he said, badly pretending to be giving it any serious thought, "I've seen 'a certain individual' about lately. Sneaky looking bastard. I knew he was up to something! Has he been selling 'a certain drug' in 'certain places'?"

Anyone else would have reacted to being mocked. Saitoh smirked, white stick clenched between his teeth while he pulled out the matches.

"What do you know of Itachi Tanaka?"

"Itachi?...Itachi…Oh, Itachi! We're best buds. Yeah, he comes over every Thursday night to play dice with the gang and afterwards we have a pissing contest on the roof. Man, who the _fuck_ is Itachi Tanaka and why should I know him?"

"He's poised to take over the position of Minister of Justice following the disappearance of Minister Akita."

"Wanna hear a secret? I don't give a rat's ass."

That was meant to relay that he had no idea what Saitoh was on about, but, with that Holier-Than-Thou quirk of his, Saitoh seemed to have unearthed something in Sano's words that satisfied his curiosity enough for him to switch topics.

"How is your friend doing?"

Sano eyed him carefully. Which friend was he referring to? It couldn't be Kenshin; Saitoh would have called him by his name, or Battousai. Kaoru, Yahiko and Megumi couldn't possibly have done anything to pique the wolf's interest. Aoshi Shinomori and the weasel girl were allies, certainly not friends. Sano had a bunch of drinking and gambling buddies who were involved in activities that the police would love the learn about, but nothing overly serious; besides none of them were smart enough to outwit the wolf, so Saitoh didn't need him to help out with that. This left only one person.

"What's Katsu got to do with anything?" Sano sneered, straightening and squaring his shoulders.

"Has he not mentioned anything strange to you?"

"Even if he did it isn't any of your business. Why are you snooping around? What's with the questions?"

"Is he planning to do any travelling soon?"

"Were you eavesdropping on us?"

"Yes, then. Good. And you?"

"What about me?"

"Travelling?"

"I've got nowhere to go. Saitoh, if you don't tell me what you're up to I'll—"

"We're done for now," the cop said. He became dead serious, yellow eyes leering over the white gloves as he took another drag of his cigarette. "I'd suggest you keep a low profile for now."

Sano stared at the man, thoughtful yet perplexed. What was he on about?

"I don't have to listen to you," he stubbornly dismissed. "If you're not going to tell me what you're planning then I have no reason to trust you."

He was jerked forward by the collar of his jacket. He could feel the heat of the smouldering cigarette near his left cheek as he sneered up at the cop. Saitoh, in turn, was calm, despite his rough actions.

"If Tanaka gets his way, you will have to trust me if you value your worthless life."

Sano yanked himself free, stumbling back and rubbing his cheek, which had begun to sting from the heat.

"I don't need your help, cricket-face. I can look after myself."

Saitoh said nothing except "Hn", and walked away, fading into the thick fog, disappearing as silently as he'd appeared, like some disgruntled ghost.

"Asshole," Sano said, straightening his jacket. "The guy's a paranoid psycho."

And now he'd have to walk all the way back home! And for what? Saitoh could have held his little interrogation back in the slums. A half and hour walk for a five minute discussion; Sano was now suspicious whether the cop had just been pulling his leg, probably bored after a long day in that stuffy office of his, writing reports that no one else read.

"Nice talking to you too!" Sano shouted in the direction the man had gone off in. "Let's never do it again sometime!"

Kicking over a stacked crate, he turned around and walked back the way they'd come.

* * *

From the shadows, a cloaked man watched the young man storm off a few minutes after the police officer left. He grinned, revealing a few missing teeth. 

"So two did survive after all? Mr Tanaka will be pleased to hear that."

Grinning at the thought of his reward this bit of information would earn him, he turned, eager to get back and claim his money. His efforts, however, were to go unpaid as he felt a searing pain lanced its way through his stomach. He looked down with agonized eyes to find that he'd been run through with a sword. A gloved hand pushed it further in until his blood stained the white material.

"Thank you for confirming my suspicions. Japan no longer needs your services tainting her people," said a voice as cold as the metal of the sword.

With a vicious twist of the weapon, blood rushed up his throat and out his mouth. Sputtering his dying breaths, the man fell back, finally able to see his killer. Wolfish yellow eyes shined down on him as the cop pulled out his blade.

'M-Mibu's…w-w-wolf…' were the last words he thought before dying.

Standing over the corpse, Saitoh wiped his sword clean and sheathed it. No one would find the body for some time, and the man was nothing but a petty criminal most people, including the law, wanted dead anyway. The man's words, however, had been more valuable than his life. They didn't give Saitoh all the answers, but that only raised the number of questions he had.

The one that interested him the most, the one he'd immediately thought of when he'd heard of the matter from an insider to the government, was: what did Itachi Tanake, former military general, now politician, want with Sanosuke Sagara and Tsukioka Tsunan, sole survivors of the Sekihoutai?

Throwing away his cigarette though it still had a good half to go, Saitoh disappeared once more into the fog, leaving the cooling body to bleed a black puddle onto the cold ground.

Tbc…

* * *

A/N: I'd written most of this fic months ago and only needed to add that last part between Saitoh and the anonymous spy, so I don't know why it took me so long to update. 

Read & Review, please.


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